On August the 7th, Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, announced that a Plainfield business owner had pleaded guilty to tax fraud. 46-year-old Jamal Hussein of Plainfield pleaded guilty to defrauding the state out of sales tax revenue exceeding $400,000. The admission of guilt was made before Will County Circuit Court Judge Danny Kennedy.
Hussein was accused of failing to file a sales tax return for his business, Burning Leaf Cigars Inc. Hussein ran three retail stores with locations in Geneva, Aurora and Plainfield. Lisa Madigan officially charged Hussein in 2015 for underreporting roughly $4.2 million in taxable sales between January of 2011 and September of 2015. Due to Hussein’s actions, Illinois lost more than $465,000 in tax revenue.
The investigation into Hussein’s actions was carried out by the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Division. IDOR Director, Connie Beard, made a statement about the plea. “Today’s plea sends a clear message that attempts to defraud the public by filing falsely prepared tax returns will not be tolerated. Together with the Attorney General’s Office, Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Division will continue to pursue individuals who do not comply with Illinois tax law.”
Assistant Attorneys General Anshuman Vaidya and James Rustik were responsible for the case for Madigan’s Special Prosecutions Bureau. Now, Jamal Hussein is looking at a prison sentence of two and a half years. He will also be required to pay more than $465,000 in restitution.